Pitch Perfect (Boys of Summer #1) by Sierra Dean

Available Aug 6th from Samhain
She’d be the perfect catch if he could take his eye off the ball.

Emmy Kasper knows exactly how lucky she is. In a sport with few opportunities for women at the pro level, she’s just landed her dream job as head athletic trainer for the San Francisco Felons baseball team. Screwing up is not an option.

She’s lost in thought as she pedals to the spring training facility, her mind abuzz with excitement as she rounds a corner—and plows head-on into two runners. The end of her career dances before her eyes when she realizes she’s almost run over the star pitcher.

As Tucker Lloyd watches the flustered Emmy escape with his bandana tied around her skinned knee, the view is a pleasant change from worrying about his flagging fastball. At thirty-six, the tail end of his career is glimmering on the horizon. If he can’t pull something extraordinary out of his ball cap, the new crop of rookies could make this season his last.

The last thing either of them needs is a distraction.

The last thing either of them expects is love.


Warning: Contains a down-on-his-luck pitcher, a good-girl athletic therapist, chemistry that’s out of the park and sexy times that’ll make them round all the bases.

This is the first book is a new baseball themed contemporary series by Sierra Dean. So far we know her from her paranormal Secret McQueen series, which i love. She's taking a crack at baseball this time. Tucker Lloyd is a aging baseball pitcher at 36 years old. He's coming off a surgery and a years worth of therapy getting his arm back in shape.  Emmy Kasper is the daughter of a famous baseball player and game announcer and a the new Athletic Trainer for the San Francisco Felons and she's a rare breed in baseball as there are few females in her position. She's tasked with helping Tucker get back on track and become the pitcher he used to be. If he can't get it together he's probably going to be traded off. There first time seeing each other is a crash meeting literally when Emmy runs him down almost with her bike and hits the pavement hard. Sparks fly between the two but there are things that should prevent them being together. First Emmy has a boyfriend although it's not much of a relationship these days and two they kind of work together and that's probably another good reason.  They decide to try and be friends instead.  Emmy struggles with her feeling for Tucker all the while trying to keep a professional distance. She finally realizes that her relationship with boyfriend is over and breaks up with him clearing the way with Tucker. After a night trying to meet Tucker's best friend Alex drink for drink in a bar all the while confessing her feeling for Tucker she wakes up at Tucker's house.  Things take off between the two then but will it how will it end?  I love the all the characters in this story. Tucker and Emmy are awesome. These aren't young 20 somethings with both being in their 30's. They've lived some life and that's really refreshing. Alex, Tucker's best friend is fun and flirty with something a little dark inside and will make for a great main character in the next book. I felt like i knew these people by the end of the book. Like they could be someone you might hang out with. The dialogue lends to that feeling. I'm not big into baseball. I watch it occasionally especially if the Detroit Tigers are doing something big but i don't feel you need to be a crazy fan to enjoy the baseball talk in this book. It's fairly easy to understand for any non baseball person too.  Sierra Dean rocked this story. Her writing brilliance comes through with this sweet, sexy contemporary romance. 5 out of 5 stars for Pitch Perfect!

Find out more about Sierra Dean, this book and her other work on her website www.sierradean.com

Book review: Curveball (Philadelphia Patriots #4) by V.K. Sykes

Taylor Page has never wanted anything but a career in major league baseball. Through talent and guts, she’s finally landed a position as Assistant General Manager of the Philadelphia Patriots. But she wants the ultimate prize—General Manager. The only problem is that most men in baseball still don’t take a woman exec seriously, especially a thirty-year old blonde with no on-field experience. She needs to do something big to convince her bosses she has what it takes to run a team.

Veteran Pittsburgh outfielder Ryan Locke’s career is in jeopardy when a suddenly unreliable throwing arm comes on top of rehab from a major injury. He’s had a solid run but he’s not a star with a mega-contract. A single parent with a troubled daughter and an alcoholic mother to provide for, retirement is out of the question. Ryan’s best hope is for a trade to an American League team as a designated hitter, allowing him several more years of play.

When Taylor needs to find a replacement for an injured first baseman, she comes up with an innovative but risky idea: convince her boss to make a trade for Ryan Locke, and then convince the still talented slugger to play first base for the Patriots. With Ryan dead-set against that plan and both their careers on the line, neither Taylor nor Ryan can afford the explosive physical attraction between them. But despite Taylor’s best efforts to resist Ryan’s campaign of seduction, she’s not sure she’s got to willpower to keep from playing along.

This book is a mix of romance and baseball. If you like those two thing you might like them together. Taylor Page grew up with a love of baseball. Her dad was a minor league scout that she adored and when he was killed when she was a young teen she was devastated. Now an adult she's really close to her dream job as the General Manager of the Philadelphia Patriots. She's a brand new Assistant GM right now and thinks that getting Ryan Locke on the team will be the thing to get her closer to that goal. Outfielder Ryan Locke is struggling a bit with his arm. He's having trouble on the field with throwing and he's hoping to get traded to an American League as designated hitter at least if he can't stay where he is now. He's not a young man anymore at 33 but hopes to eek out some more time still before retirement. Taylor gets him traded to the Philadelphia Patriots though instead and he's asked to learn 1st base . Things get complicated when Taylor and Ryan find themselves attracted to each other after Taylor actually gets a chance to get to know Ryan.  Taylor is kind of his boss in a way so she's nervous about how it might look if they are together. The relationship is like a roller coaster with tons of ups and downs. Throw in Ryan's 13 year old troubled daughter and there is a lot of things going on.
 I enjoyed the angst between Taylor and Ryan when it was there. Both struggled with decisions about their personal lives and professional lives as they were both tangled together.When they came together though it was crazy sexy!  This is book 4 in the Philadelphia Patriots series. While i have never read the previous books in the series i feel you can walk right into the series and start reading here if you want. I didn't feel like i lost anything by starting with book four.  4 out of 5 stars for Curveball by V.K. Sykes.

Find out more about this series here www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Curveball by V. K. Sykes Book Blast and Giveaway!!

Curveball

Ebook

Book Four in the USA Today Bestselling Philadelphia Patriots Series

May, 2013

Blurb:

Taylor Page never wanted anything but a career in major league baseball.  Through talent and guts, she’s finally landed a position as Assistant General Manager of the Philadelphia Patriots.  The only problem is that most men in baseball still don’t take a woman exec seriously, especially a thirty-year old blonde with no on-field experience.  She needs to do something big to convince her bosses she has what it takes to run a team.

Veteran Pittsburgh outfielder Ryan Locke’s career is in jeopardy when a suddenly unreliable throwing arm comes on top of rehab from a major injury.  A single parent with a troubled daughter and an alcoholic mother to provide for, retirement is out of the question. Ryan’s best hope is for a trade to an American League team as a designated hitter, allowing him several more years of play.

When Taylor needs a replacement for an injured first baseman, she comes up with an innovative but risky idea:  convince her boss to make a trade for Ryan Locke, and then convince the still talented slugger to play first base for the Patriots.  With Ryan dead-set against that plan and both their careers on the line, neither Taylor nor Ryan can afford the explosive physical attraction between them.  But despite Taylor’s best efforts to resist Ryan’s campaign of seduction, she’s not sure she’s got the willpower to keep from playing along.

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About The Authors

V.K. Sykes is really two people - Vanessa Kelly and Randy Sykes, a husband and wife team who write USA Today Bestselling contemporary romance. Randy excels at plot and characterization, but tends to fall down on the job when it comes to that pesky old thing called emotion. That's where Vanessa steps in. She usually writes the sex scenes too, since Randy is a bit uncomfortable when it comes to that sort of stuff. Vanessa also writes award-winning Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra under her own name. You can find V.K. on the web at http://www.vksykes.com and Vanessa at http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Vanessa is also a member of Rock*It Reads, a group of traditionally published authors who are committed to bringing high standards and professional quality to their independently published works. Members include New York Times bestselling and award winning authors like Pamela Clare, Monica Burns, Elisabeth Naughton and Kris Kennedy. You can find Rock*It Reads on the web at http://www.rockitreads.com.

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Leave a comment and be entered to win a ebook  copy of either FASTBALL, book one in the The Philadelphia Patriots series, or HOT NUMBER. Be sure to leave your email address to be entered in the giveaway.

Book review: Kiss me I'm Irish (Anthology) by authors Roxanne St Claire, Jill Shalvis, Maureeen Child

Kiss Me, I'm Irish by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis, Maureen Child



Roxanne St. Clair - The Sins of His Past

For one incredible night, Kendra Locke gave Deuce Monroe everything she had. Then he walked away without a backward glance to chase his big-league dreams. Now after one too many daredevil stunts, he's back in his hometown ready to pick up where they left off—but Kendra has no intention of giving in so easily….

Jill Shalvis - Tangling with Ty

Dr. Nicole Mann, a child prodigy who graduated high school at the age of thirteen, has no room in her mind or her schedule for romance. But when the architect renovating her apartment turns out to have a charming Irish accent, all bets are off—and Ty Patrick O'Grady plans to use every trick in his book to stay in her life for good.



Maureen Child - Whatever Reilly Wants

Connor Reilly only has a few weeks to go in his "no sex for ninety days" bet with his brothers—and he figures no woman is safer to be around than his best friend, Emma Jacobsen. Until Emma shows up at a bar in a short skirt and high heels, and suddenly seems anything but safe!
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First up Roxanne St Claire "Sins of his Past". Roxanne gives us a story about finding yourself and reaching for your dreams. Deuce was a big time Baseball start and when that fell apart he came back home to run his parents bar which turns out to no longer be a bar. Kendra is running the show now and she's made it into a Internet cafe. The fights on with these two star crossed lovers when it comes down to a competition for who wins the right the run the bar/ Internet cafe. This is a great little story. Just enough story so you can figure out what's going on and some fun thrown in with it for a great little Irish story. 3 out of 5 Modokker book pick stars.

Next up is Jill Shalvis "Tangling with Ty" Sexy Irishman Ty has some hang ups. He's a wanderer. He rough childhood has made him leery of letting anyone to close. Then he meets Dr Nicole Mann. Child prodigy who graduated high school at 12 and went on to become a Dr. Now at 27 she's a successful Dr. but doesn't know anything about relationships of any kind. Both make work their life. First i have to say the description of TY is drool worthy. Several inches  over 6 ft tall, dark black hair and piercing blue eyes with a body that won't quit. Hello, who could not be attracted to that. Nicole tries but isn't quite as successful as she had hoped. When he comes crashing through her ceiling and gets seriously injured Nicole being the good Dr. ends up taking him home with her. This is a story about finding love and letting go of the past and opening yourself up. Loved it!! 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars.

Lastly we have Maureen Child "Whatever Reilly wants". Connor Reilly is one of a set of triplets. One of the triplets got back with his wife and is happily married and the third is still single like Connor. They made a bet with their older brother Liam ( a priest) over some money they inherited.  The remaining 2 brothers must give up women for 90 days and 30 have passed so far. One brother down and 2 left to go. Emma has been Connor's best friend for the past two years. She's a mechanic so she's always in coveralls with her hair up in a pony tail and slightly dirty. He sees her as one of the guys and that just won't do. Emma sets her sights on Connor to show him she's all woman!  This is a fun read with hot Irish men all over the place.  4 out 5 Modokker Book pick stars.

Find out more about the authors at their websites below.

Roxanne St Claire www.roxannestclaire.com
Jill Shalvis www.jillshalvis.com
Maureen Child www.maureenchild.com